Nesting and stacking carrier construction



July 29, 1969 c. H. DRADER 3,453,082

NESTING AND STACKING CARRIER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 9, 1966 2 Shee'r.s-Shee*fI 2 inve/vm@ CLARENCE H. DRADER n Tram/ry United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 220--9'7 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Novel stacking bars are combined with conventional metal rod open framework nesting-stacking carriers. Each stacking bar comprises an elongate rod formed into a loop at each end. The loops encircle two opposed segments of the upper perimeter frame of the carrier whereby the stacking -bar bridges the top opening of the carrier.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 548,613, tiled May 9, 1966 now abandoned.

This invention relates to carriers that may be nested within one another when empty or stacked upon one another when full.

There are a number of types of nesting-stacking carriers in common use for carrying articles such as milk cartons and the like. These carriers normally include an open framework container having a bottom .and first and second pairs of opposite sides formed of substantially rigid metal wire or rod. Each carrier normally includes top, intermediate and bottom perimeter members lwhich are rectangular in configuration and horizontal in dispo sition. The perimeter members are maintained in spaced relation -by side members which are joined to the said perimeter members, normally by welding. The side members, disposed in substantially vertical planes, form the sides of the box-like container. Bottom members, joined to the bottom perimeter member, form the bottom or floor of the container; sheet tin or similar material may, in addition, be provided over the bottom members to provide a solid floor.

Each side of the container normally includes two groups of oppositely inclined, parallel side members. It is the provision of side members which are inclined in a substantially vertical plane which permits one carrier to nest in another identical carrier. It is also, of course, necessary that the top opening of a carrier be slightly larger than its bottom outside dimension in order that f one carrier can nest in another. For this reason, the Side members are generally slightly bent outwardly from vertical.

It is necessary to provide some means, attached to each carrier, for supporting additional carriers stacked thereon. The conventional means can be divided into two general groups; stacking 4bars and stacking shelves.

A stacking bar normally comprises a straight bar which is connected by hinges, at points along its length, to the container. A pair of stacking bars is provided with each container, one bar being attached to each of the said second pair of opposite sides. The stacking bars can be swung from the stacking position, wherein they bridge the container opening and are supported at their ends by the top perimeter member-forming the top edges of the first pair of opposite sides, to a nesting position, wherein they are suspended outside the container alongside the outer faces of the second pair of opposite sides.

There .are disadvantages to this type of stacking bar. The hinges may become crimped or bent with the result that the stacking bar will not swing easily or become misaligned. Additionally, when a heavy load of stacked carriers is supported by the stacking bars, the bars tend to bend downwardly and their ends can slip past the top perimeter upon which they rest. Once sprung, it is a tedious operation to recover the damaged carrier and repair it. To alleviate this problem, the ends of the stacking bars are commonly extended well past the top perimeter member. These ends then provide a snagging hazard which is undesirable.

Stacking shelves usually comprise a single, Vertical length of rod formed into a hinged loop at one end and bent at a right .angle adjacent to the lower end to provide a horizontal shelf member. A plurality of these stacking shelves may be suspended from the top perimeter member portions which form the top edges of the second pair of opposite sides. Openings are provided in the said sides to permit the horizontal shelf members, in the stacking position, to protrude into the container to provide support for the stacked carriers. In the nesting position the stacking shelves are swung to a position outside the container.

There are disadvantages to the stacking shelves. When loaded, the horizontal shelf member can be bent downwardly. Also, in the nesting position the stacking shelves protrude outwardly from the sides of the container and take up space.

There is a disadvantage common to both known types of stacking means when the carriers, of which they form a part, .are used in conjunction with some automatic loading machines. It is preferable, when using such machines, that the stacking means do not protrude beyond the outside dimensions of the container; otherwise the machine must be built to accommodate this protrusion.

In accordance with this invention a carrier is provided having stacking bars which .are slidably attached at their ends to a first pair of opposite sides of the container. The stacking bars are slidably movable between two positions; A nesting position, wherein they are suspended adjacent the second pair of opposite container sides; and a stacking position, wherein the said bars are inwardly spaced from the said second pair of opposite container sides and bridge the container opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the ends of each stacking bar are extended in the form of a loop to loosely, com pletely or partly encircle the top perimeter member portions of the first pair of opposite container sides.

By virtue of attaching the ends of the stacking bars to the first pair of opposite container sides, the said bars are substantially free of the problem of becoming sprung when loaded. Since they are longitudinally fixed, the stacking bars do not have to be made of heavy gauge material to withstand ybending when loaded. Because the ends of the stacking bars do not portrude over the side of the container, they do not present a snagging hazard. Sinec the stacking bars remain within the outer dimensions of the container in both positions, space is conserved when stacking containers side by side and the carrier is well adapted for use in automatic machines.

In a further, preferred feature of the invention, notches may be provided in the top perimeter member portions of the yfirst pair of opposite container sides to receive the stacking bars in the stacking position. The said portions are sloped smoothly downward from their ends to the notches. As a result of this construction, the stacking bars will return automatically to the stacking position if not held in the nesting position.

In still a further preferred feature, each stacking bar is formed to provide a depression adjacent each of its ends which will register with the bottom perimeter member of a second carrier stacked thereon. As a result of this construction both longitudinal and transverse movement of the second carrier relative to the supporting stacking bars will be substantially prevented, The bottom,

perimeter member portions of two opposite sides of the second carrier will be seated in the depressions, thereby substantially preventing movement of the second carrier relevant to the longitudinal axes of the supporting stacking bars; also, the bottom perimeter member portions of the remaining sides of the second carrier will be disposed in locking abutment with the central portion of the supporting stacking bars to substantially prevent transverse movement.

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a nesting-stacking carrier according to the invention which shows the stacking bars in the stacking position.

FIGURE 2 is another isometric view of a nestingstacking carrier showing the stacking bars in the nesting position.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional side view taken substantially at the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating a portion of an upper carrier stacked on a lower carrier.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken at 4-4 of FIGURE 2 and showing an upper carrier nested in a lower carrier.

FIGURE 5 is a broken-away, perspective view of a stacking bar.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view at one end of an alternate embodiment of the carrier.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for sake of clarity. However, it is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected and it is to be understood that each specic term includes all technical equavalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

With reference to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a nesting-stacking carrier. Carrier 10 is comprised of an open top, framework container having a bottom 12, a first pair of opposite sides 18, 19 and a second pair of opposite sides 14, and a pair of stacking bars 54, 55 attached, in the embodiment shown, to the rst pair of opposite sides 18, 19.

The bottom 12 of the container includes a rectangular bottom perimeter member 25 having a rectangular plate 24 joined thereto, as by welding.

The side Walls, 14, 15, 18, 19 are substantially identical in structure in the embodiment illustarted. For purposes of description, only side wall 14 will be described in detail hereinbelow.

Side wall 14 includes portions 7, 3 of rectangular intermediate and top perimeter members 31, 40 which are spaced in horizontal disposition above bottom perimeter member 25 by the side members 28, 29, 33, 34, 36, 37. Side members 28, 29 for the legs of a substantially vertical, inverted V. The apex 43 of the inverted V is joined to the intermediate perimeter member 31 at its inner surface, and the bottom ends of side members 28, 29 are joined to the bottom perimeter member 25 at its outer surface. Side members 33, 34, 36, 37 are joined at their bottom ends to the outer surface of bottom perimeter number 25 and extend upwardly, being joined at their top ends to the inner surface of top perimeter member 40. Intermediate perimeter member 31 is spaced outwardly slightly from the substantially vertical plane in which side members 33, 34, 36, 37 are disposed; however, the said side members are joined to the member 31 at the inwardly extending offsets 42. Side members 33, 34 are located adjacent side member 28 and are inclined parallel to it. In like fashion side members 36, 37 are located adjacent side member 29 and are inclined parallel to it. Side members 33, 34, 36, 37 are slightly bent outwardly from vertical. For example, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, the bottom portion 46 of the side member 37 is bent outwardly from bottom perimeter member 25. The central portion 47 is inclined outwardly a little less than portion 46 and extends upwardly to the junction point with offset 42 of the intermediate perimeter member 31. The upper portion 43 is then bent outwardly a little more than central portion 47 up to the junction point with top perimeter member 40.

As a result of the side wall construction, the opening 22, which is defined by top and intermediate perimeter members 40, 31 is larger than the outside dimension of the bottom 12. Additionally, the side members of the container are inclined. The carrier 10 is therefore adapted to receive a second similar carrier 10A in a nesting position as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

A pair of stacking bars 54, 55 are attached to the top perimeter member portions 5, 6 which extend across the upper ends of the first pair of opposite side walls y18, 19 to form the top edges thereof. The stacking bars 54, 55 therefore are suspended within the container and are parallel to the second pair of opposite side walls 14, 15.

As shown in FIGURE 5, each of the stacking bars 54, SS includes a straight centre portion 60 bent to form a depression 61 adjacent each end, and extending into loops 57 at each end. The loops S7 are curved downwardly, as indicated at 62, and are closed. The loops 57 encircle the top perimeter member portions 5, 6 adjacent their ends as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The loops 57 are shown as closed rings. It will be understood that they may be in the form of partially closed rings or other forms, provided they serve the functions of slidably attaching the stacking bars 54, 55 to the first pair of opposite side walls 18, 19 and providing extensions of the stacking bars for supporting co-action with the said side walls 18, 19. The term encircling is therefore intended to mean partial or complete encirclement of the top perimeter member portion.

The top perimeter member portions 5, 6 are bent adjacent their ends to provide notches 72, 73. As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the side members 65 of side Walls 18, 19 are joined to the apex of notches 72, 73 to provide support thereof. The looped ends of stacking bars 54, 55 are positioned in the notches 72, 73 when in the stacked position.

In a further feature of the invention, illustrated in FIGURE 6, the segments 64, which space the notches 72, 73 from the ends of the top perimeter member portions 5, 6 in which they are formed, may be downwardly sloped to the apex of the said notches 72, 73. As a result, a stacking bar will tend to automatically drop into the notches 72, 73 unless held from doing so. This is a useful feature when the carrier is used with some automatic machines.

In operation, the stacking bars 54, 55 will be disposed in either of two positions: stacking or nesting. In the stacking position, the stacking bars S4, 55 will be positioned so that their looped ends 57 seat in the notches 72, 73 in top perimeter member portions 5, 6. The parallel stacking bars 54, 55 are thereby suspended in a longitudinally fixed position, bridging the opening 22 of the container. As shown in FIGURE 3, a second carrier 10A can be placed upon stacking bars 54, 55. The bottom of the second carrier 10A will be supported by the stacking bars 54, 55 and its bottom perimeter member 25A will seat in depressions 61. Since the bottom perimeter member 25A is seated in the V-Shaped depression 61, longitudinal movement of the carrier 10A is substantially prevented by the upwardly inclined shoulders of the depression 61. Additionally, transverse movement of the carrier 10A is substantially prevented by the locking co-action of the central portions 60 of the stacking bars 54, 55 with the bottom perimeter member portions of the two sides of the carrier 10A which are disposed parallel to the said stacking bars 54, 55.

For nesting, the stacking bars 54, 55 are moved from the notches 72, 73 into position at the ends of the top perimeter member portions 5, 6. `In this position, the stacking bars 54, 55 are suspended within the container adjacent the top perimeter member portions 3, 4 of the side walls 14, 15. This is the preferred nesting arrangement. Alternatively, the loops 57 may be sutliciently elongated to permit the stacking bars 54, 55 to lay on top of or adjacent the top perimeter member portions 3, 4. This alternative embodiment will mean -that the height of the carrier will be increased by the thickness of the said bars, however, it is to be understood that the embodiment is within the scope of this invention. The term adjacent is intended to describe the positioning of the stacking bars S4, 55 relative to the second pair of opposite side walls 14, 1S according to either of the above described alternative embodiments.

With the stacking bars 54, 55 in the nesting position, a second carrier 10A can be nested within carrier 10 as the said bars no longer block opening 22. Carrier 10A can be lowered into carrier 10 until its intermediate perimeter member seats on top of the top perimeter member 40 of carrier 10.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with an open framework nestingstacking carrier having a bottom and rst and second ends thereof which loosely encircle the upper edges of the second pair of opposed walls, whereby the stacking bars are slidably movable between nesting and stacking positions substantially within the carrier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,746 2/1936 Tufts 220-97 2,395,542 2/1946` Foi-don 220'-97 2,401,063 5 1946 Fordon 220--97 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,252,816 12/ 1960 France.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner 

